商品詳細

With democracy on the rise world-wide, questions about "transition" are rapidly being replaced by questions about "consolidation". How can leaders provide for a stable democracy once a nation has made its initial commitment to the rule of law and popularly elected government? This book focuses on four nations of Southern Europe - Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece - which have successfully consolidated their democratic regimes. Drawing on a decade of intensive research into Southern Europe's democratic transitions and consolidations, this book takes stock of findings while comparing and contrasting Southern European democratic trajectories with those of South America and Eastern Europe. In 11 chapters, it examines the impact of historical, international, regional, military and political factors, including the roles of political parties and interest groups, on the process. This work offers a model for the study of democratic consolidation elsewhere and also suggests the direction that emerging democracies can take.